Amidst the thick dust and the cracking of stone, Ether did not move to end Arkon's life immediately. To him, Arkon was no longer an enemy, but a living "clinical experiment." Ether stood at a distance, observing through the (Spiritual Microscope) how the vital system of a Rank 2 cultivator collapses when struck in its "processing center."
"Power without insight is a slow suicide," Ether thought coldly, watching the golden energy leak from Arkon's pores like searing steam.
The blood flowing from Arkon's eye was not merely a vital fluid; it was the "Energy Essence" that had lost its path. In the Izguldur system, the (Eye of Insight) acts as a safety valve regulating the flow of energy from the heart to the extremities. Thanks to Ether's surgical stab, that valve was shattered.
"I... Noble Arkon... descendant of the Raven family..." Arkon muttered deliriously, while his muscles began to swell unnaturally. His own energy was starting to "cook" his internal organs. "How can a slave... touch the sacred?"
Ether looked at him with a gaze devoid of any human spark. "Arkon, you still believe your social rank protects you from the laws of spiritual physics. To a surgical scalpel, there is no difference between the skin of a noble and the skin of a pig; both are carbon fibers and protein."
The environment was collapsing with a calculated slowness. A massive boulder fell beside Ether, but he didn't blink. He had calculated its trajectory ten seconds ago based on the ceiling's vibration angle.
"Look, Kai," Ether said in a calm voice amidst the roar of the collapse, pointing at Arkon whose body began to crack, emitting threads of golden light. "This is what happens when ambition exceeds the vessel's capacity. Arkon did not evolve his soul to match his energy; he relied on spectral 'prosthetics.' Now, when the prosthetic failed, his energy consumed him."
Kai began to vomit blood due to the sonic waves generated by Arkon's energetic screams. Ether did not reach out to help him; instead, he was taking mental notes: (Tolerance level of ordinary humans to Rank 2 spectral waves: very weak. Note: Kai's nervous system must be strengthened to be a more durable tool in the future).
Arkon fell to his knees, his right hand beginning to transform into a mass of distorted golden crystal. The process of (Spectral Petrification) had begun—a state where organic matter turns into stagnant energy due to loss of control.
"Now... the benefit has reached its peak." Ether walked toward the dying Arkon with confident steps amidst the falling stones. "If I had killed you at full strength, your energy would have exploded and annihilated the entire sector. But now, you have consumed 90% of your power destroying yourself. What remains is the 'Pure Essence' I need."
Ether stopped before the dying Arkon, the golden light reflecting in his cold eyes. There was no spite, no revenge—only a "cognitive hunger" and a desire to ascend.